Coupling-link.



W. T. DURHAM. COUPLING LINK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23, 1914.

1,124,877. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

WILLIAM '1. DURHAM, OF RIDGE SPRING, SOUTH CAROLINA.

COUPLING-LINK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Q Iatented J an, 12, 1915,

Application filed April 23, 1914. Serial No. 834,023.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM T. DURHAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Ridge Spring, in the county ofSaluda and State of South Carolina, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Coupling- Links, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to coupling links designed in general for thevarious uses for which coupling or lap links are commonly employed, theprimary object of the invention being to provide a coupling link which,while simple of construction, is of maximum strength and durability, andis adapted to be used without liability of the movable member casuallyopening and permitting separation of the coupled members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling link in whichthe movable closure member presents a maximum amount of surface for wearand is adapted to interlock with the body member in such a way as toeffectively withstand the strains imposed thereon, while relieving thepivot member from such strains, thus avoiding the well known objectionsto coupling and lap links of the types in general use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a coupling or looklink in which any tendency of the movable closure member to bind or hangis avoided, allowing said member to be easily opened and closed by handmanipulation for the connection and disconnection of the link in a readyand convenient manner.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lock link embodying my invention,showing the movable closure member in open position; Fig. 2 is a similarview of the link showing the movable closure member in closed position;Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the link asillustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an edge view of the link as illustrated in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the movableclosure member detached.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a link preferably ofelliptical or oval form, and comprising a body 1 and a movable closuremember 2. The body 1 is provided at one side, adjacent the end 3thereof, with a passageway 4 formed by cutting away a portion of suchside of the link. This passageway permits the link to be coupled with oruncoupled from another link or other element to be engaged, as will bereadily understood. The end 3 of the link body is enlarged or widened atthe point where it joins the closed side of the link body, whereby alocking lug or projection 5 extending into the link is produced, whichlug is preferably provided with an engaging face inclined obliquely tothe major axis of the link and disposed approximately opposite thepassage-way 4. The side of the link having the passage-way formedtherein is bifurcated at its end portion to form a slot 6 receiving areduced portion or shank 7 upon one end of the segmentally shapedmovable closure member 2, the said member being pivotally mounted withinthe slot upon a transverse pin or rivet 8, whereby it is adapted. toswing to the open and closed position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I

The body of the movable member 2 is shaped to conform to the curvatureof the inner face of the end surface 3 which is eccentric to the axis ofthe link, and the inner or extreme end portion 9 of its shank 7 isbeveled or inclined at an angle for engagement with the correspondinglyinclined" inner end wall 10 of the slot, so that when the movableclosure member is closed the pivoted end thereof will be firmly bracedby the inclined engaging surfaces. The free end of the movable closuremember is provided with a hook 11 to engage the locking shoulder, offsetor lug 5, whereby any tendency to displacement of the movable closuremember in a direction circumferentially of the link is avoided and thefree end of the closure member firmly braced. The body of the closuremember is substantially coextensive in diameter with the diameter of theend portion 3, thus giving a large amount of wearing surface, and theouter face of said closure member is provided with a partiallycirculargroove 12 formed by longitudinally extending flanges, whichgroove receives the inner portion of the end 3 when the closure memberis in closed position, thereby holding and bracing the closure memberagainst any possibility of lateral displacement and avoiding strain uponthe pivotal connection and portions of the link on opposite sides of thepassage-way or clivisio 4:.

In the use of the link it will be understood that the closure member 2is swung open to the position shown in Fig. 1, allowing the link of achain or other element to which the link is to be coupled to enterthrough the slot or passage-way 4e, whereupon the closure member ismoved to the closed position shown in Fig. 2, in which it is engaged bythe retained ring or link, thus locking said closure member in closedposition. As the closure member extends diametrically across the locklink it will be apparent that under the pressure of the retained link itwill be prevented from casually opening at all times, while the doublethickness of material which it gives with the end portion 3 insuresgreat strength of the link at the point on which the strain falls, thuspreventing the link from being bent or twisted out of shape. The portion13 of the movable closure member between the member 2 and the tang Tisof a size to fully close the passage-way l and is provided with abutmentshoulders 14 and 1 5 to engage the walls of the passage-way by which acontinuous link is produced when the closure member is in closedposition. Furthermore, the engagement of the grooved side of the closuremember with the end portion 3 allows the closure member to have acertain degree of inward movement without moving to open position, suchas occurs when the engaged link or ring is slackened, thereby givingmanifest security of connection.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that my inventionprovides a coupling or link in which the movable closure member is heldlocked in closed position by the pressure of the engaged link or ring,and that owing to the construction described a link is produced which issuperior in strength and durability to ordinary lap links. and whichtherefore is not liable to be bent or broken under strain. Furthermore,it will be evident that a link is produced in which the movable closuremember is not liable to hang or bind, so that the link may be coupledand uncoupled at all times with ease and facility.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A coupling or look link comprising a body having one of its sidesdivided to form a passage-way adjacent to one end thereof, such end ofthe link being eccentrically curved to produce an inwardly extendinglocking member, and a closure member pivoted to such side of the linkand adapted to close against the inner face of such end of the link andhaving a locking element at its :free end to engage said lockingprojection.

2. A coupling or lock link comprising a body cut away at one side toprovide a pas sage-way adjacent an end thereof, such end of the linkbeing eccentrically curved to provide an inwardly extending lockingprojec tion adjacent the closed side of the link, and a movable closuremember pivotally connected at one end with the first named side of thelink and having a locking hook at its other end to engage said lockingprojection, said movable closure member being adapted to close againstthe inner face of the aforesaid end of the link and having a curvedouter surface for interengagement therewith. In testimony whereof llailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l VILLIAM T. DURHAM. Witnesses J. C. WATSON, L. N. VVATsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

